About this role
Job summary
THIS POST IS RINGFENCED FOR UHLG EMPLOYEES ONLY.
Matron - Surgery Care Group LHCH (Band 8a)
We are seeking an experienced, compassionate, and inspirational nursing leader to join our Surgery Care Group as a Matron on a 12-month secondment.
This is an exciting opportunity to work alongside an experienced senior nursing leadership team during a period of transformation as we continue to develop our Care Group model. Reporting to the Assistant Director of Nursing, the successful candidate will play a pivotal role in leading high-quality, patient-centred services across our surgical clinical areas.
As Matron, you will provide visible professional nursing leadership, supporting Ward Managers and multidisciplinary teams to deliver safe, effective, and compassionate care. You will champion quality improvement, patient safety, workforce development, and patient experience while ensuring robust clinical governance and operational performance across your portfolio.
This role offers an exceptional development opportunity for an experienced senior nurse who is passionate about leading teams, influencing change, and delivering excellence in specialist healthcare. You will work closely with the Assistant Director of Nursing, Divisional Director of Nursing and the wider Care Group leadership team, contributing to strategic service development while maintaining a strong focus on patient experience and supporting staff to thrive.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for an individual who:
Is an experienced senior nurse with a proven track record of clinical and operational leadership. Demonstrates compassionate, inclusive, and visible leadership. Has experience of quality improvement, governance, and patient safety. Is passionate about developing people and creating high-performing teams. Can work collaboratively across professional and organisational boundaries. Is committed to delivering outstanding patient care and continually improving services. In return, we offer the opportunity to develop your leadership skills within a nationally recognised specialist Trust, working alongside highly experienced multidisciplinary teams committed to innovation, continuous improvement and delivering exceptional outcomes for our patients.
If you are looking for the next step in your leadership career and would like to make a significant contribution to the future of the Surgery Care Group, we would welcome your application.
Informal visits and conversations are actively encouraged.
About us
As the largest single site specialist heart and chest hospital in the UK, we, at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, have a clear vision 'to be the best cardiothoracic integrated healthcare organisation'.
We provide specialist services in cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, respiratory medicine both in the hospital and out in the community.
We serve a catchment area of 2.8 million people, spanning Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and the Isle of Man, and increasingly we receive referrals from outside these areas for highly specialised services such as aortics.
Our reputation for strong performance is important in delivering the best care for our patients and high quality clinical services. This is underpinned by a culture of research and innovation, delivered in modern estate and our encouragement of flexible working in a variety of forms.
Please visit our website - https://www.lhch.nhs.uk/
Please follow this link for a tour of our site - https://bit.ly/36ylsoq
Job description Job responsibilities
Job Summary
Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's leading specialist cardiothoracic hospitals, providing tertiary services for cardiac, thoracic and respiratory patients across Cheshire and Merseyside and beyond. The Trust is committed to delivering outstanding, safe, effective and compassionate care whilst continuously improving the experience and outcomes for patients and their families.
The Matron is a senior clinical and professional nursing leader within the Surgery Care Group who provides visible, compassionate and inclusive leadership across designated clinical areas. Working under the direction of the Assistant Director of Nursing, the post holder is responsible for ensuring the highest standards of patient care, patient safety, clinical governance, workforce leadership and operational delivery.
The Matron will provide professional nursing leadership across multiple clinical areas, ensuring that nursing care is evidence based, patient centred and delivered in accordance with the NMC Code, Trust policies, national standards and regulatory requirements.
The post holder will work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team to support delivery of the Care Group objectives, ensuring patients receive high quality, safe and effective care throughout their entire patient journey.
The Matron is responsible for providing assurance regarding quality, patient safety, workforce, patient experience and governance through the Surgery Divisional Assurance Group and wider Care Group governance structure. They will ensure risks are identified early, appropriately managed and escalated through the Assistant Director of Nursing to the Divisional Director of Nursing where required.
The post holder will act as a highly visible professional leader, promoting a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, compassionate leadership and staff engagement whilst supporting delivery of the Trust Nursing Strategy and organisational objectives.
Principal Accountabilities
The Matron Will
Provide visible clinical leadership across designated clinical areas, promoting a culture of excellence in patient care and professional nursing practice.
Ensure patients receive safe, effective, evidence-based and compassionate care that reflects national standards, professional guidance and Trust policies.
Promote patient-centred care, ensuring patients, families and carers are actively involved in decisions regarding their treatment and ongoing care.
Act as an expert professional resource for Ward Managers, Department Managers and multidisciplinary teams.
Maintain oversight of standards of nursing care, ensuring early identification and management of quality concerns.
Promote consistent implementation of national guidance including NICE recommendations, NHS England guidance and professional standards.
Ensure compliance with the NMC Code, Trust policies and statutory requirements.
Support the implementation of specialist clinical pathways across the Surgery Care Group.
Promote personalised care, shared decision making and equality of access for all patients.
Ensure safeguarding principles are embedded throughout clinical practice.
Maintain oversight of patient documentation standards, ensuring accurate, contemporaneous and legally compliant records are maintained.
Ensure patients requiring additional support, including those living with dementia, learning disabilities or other vulnerabilities, receive appropriate individualised care.
Actively promote infection prevention and control standards and ensure immediate action is taken where concerns are identified.
Ensure that nutrition, hydration, privacy, dignity and fundamental standards of care remain central to service delivery.
Support the delivery of effective discharge planning and patient flow across all clinical areas
Leadership and Management
The Matron will:
Provide inspirational, compassionate and inclusive leadership across the Surgery Care Group. Lead by example, demonstrating the Trust values and behaviours at all times. Create a culture where staff feel respected, valued and empowered to deliver outstanding patient care. Support the Assistant Director of Nursing in delivering the strategic objectives of the Surgery Care Group. Provide day-to-day professional leadership for Ward Managers and Department Managers. Foster a coaching style of leadership, supporting development of future nursing leaders. Promote psychological safety and encourage staff to raise concerns through an open and transparent culture. Lead recruitment, retention and succession planning activities within designated clinical areas. Ensure robust performance management processes are implemented fairly and consistently. Support effective workforce planning to ensure safe staffing levels are maintained. Promote staff health and wellbeing through proactive leadership and early intervention. Support implementation of organisational change and service transformation programmes. Encourage multidisciplinary collaboration to improve patient outcomes. Promote equality, diversity and inclusion within all aspects of workforce management. Ensure effective communication between clinical teams, the Assistant Director of Nursing and the wider Care Group leadership team. Deputise for the Assistant Director of Nursing as required.
Professional Nursing Leadership
The Matron will:
Act as a senior ambassador for the nursing profession across the Surgery Care Group. Promote professional accountability and uphold the highest standards of nursing practice. Ensure professional standards are consistently monitored and maintained across all clinical areas. Lead implementation of the Trust Nursing Strategy within designated services. Promote a culture of continual professional development and lifelong learning. Support implementation of evidence-based practice across all clinical environments. Encourage innovation and adoption of best practice. Work collaboratively with Practice Education, Professional Development teams and senior clinicians to support workforce capability. Develop strong professional relationships across the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital and wider Group to promote consistency of nursing standards. Represent the Surgery Care Group at Trust-wide and external professional meetings as delegated by the Assistant Director of Nursing
Person Specification
Qualifications & Education Essential
Registered Nurse (Adult) with current NMC Registration. Degree in Nursing or relevant healthcare discipline or equivalent experience. Evidence of postgraduate study or equivalent leadership development. Evidence of continuing professional development. Leadership and management qualification or equivalent experience
Desirable
Master's Degree or working towards. Quality Improvement qualification. Coaching or Leadership Programme. Project Management qualification.
Skills & Knowledge Essential
Clinical Governance. Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF). NHS Quality Strategy. Safeguarding legislation Workforce planning. Human Factors Risk Management Quality Improvement methodology Excellent communication skills Influencing and negotiation Coaching and mentoring Data interpretation Quality Improvement Financial awareness
Desirable
NHS Long Term Plan GIRFT methodology CQC assessment framework. Model Hospital
Experience Essential
Significant senior nursing leadership experience within an acute healthcare setting. Experience of leading multiple clinical teams. Experience of quality improvement and clinical governance. Experience of workforce management Experience of managing change Experience of incident investigation and learning Experience of operational management Experience of managing performance against quality indicators Experience of multidisciplinary working
Desirable
Cardiothoracic or specialist tertiary care experience Experience of CQC inspections Experience of GIRFT or accreditation programmes
Values & Behaviours Essential
Promotes honesty & integrity Demonstrates confidence & motivation Positive & enthusiastic Empathetic & supportive towards colleagues Maintains a professional approach
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital
Address Liverpool Heart and Chest NHS Foundation Trust
Liverpool
L14 3PE
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.lhch.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)